[www.civilsociety.co.uk]


Police will not launch a criminal investigation into SPAC Nation
11 Feb 2020 News

The police will not launch a criminal investigation into the church charity SPAC Nation, but will investigate two allegations of fraud relating to the actions of individuals.

In 2019 the The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) was made aware of allegations of fraud and other offences relating to the activities of individuals associated with SPAC Nation.

There had been calls in the House of Commons for a full police inquiry into the charity. MPs had raised concerns about SPAC Nation and called on authorities to suspend its charitable status while an investigation is being carried out.

At the time, Steve Reed, Labour MP for Croydon North, said “I am convinced that SPAC Nation is a cult” and claimed it mainly targets young black people in poorer parts of London, exploiting them for financial gain.

He added: “Tragically, where criminal exploitation is taking place, there is often also sexual exploitation.”

Police statement
A police statement said: “Officers from Central Specialist Crime carried out a review to identify if any criminal offences had been committed. This review is now complete and no criminal investigation has been launched into these specific allegations.

“However, during this review detectives identified two separate, similar allegations of fraud reported in different parts of London. The allegations relate to the actions of individuals, not the actions of an organisation, and are being investigated by detectives locally.

“Officers from Central Specialist Crime are in contact with the charities commission in relation to its statutory inquiry into SPAC Nation. Should any further information come to light this will be reviewed accordingly.”

The church charity is currently under investigation by the Commission, looking at financial and safeguarding issues.

Two fraud allegations
On 23 January 2019, through a referral from Action Fraud, the MPS received an allegation of fraud by false representation relating to the actions of an individual said to have taken place in 2018. Officers from the Met’s North West Basic Command Unit are investigating.

On 13 January 2020, a 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation. He was taken to a north London police station. He was later released under investigation.

On the same day a search was carried out at an address in Ballards Road, NW2, where a number of items were seized by police.

Secondly, on 25 August 2019 police received an allegation of fraud by false representation relating to the actions of an individual, said to have taken place between March 2017 and July 2019. Officers from the Met’s South Area Basic Command Unit are investigating.

No arrests have been made in relation to this allegation.

SPAC Nation: ‘SPAC Nation vindicated! No case!’
Pastor Tobi Adegboyega tweeted: “SPAC Nation vindicated! No case! The police completed their review of all allegations and I quote their conclusion 'The review is now complete and no further investigations will be made'. Truth always prevails! #SPACNation!.”

In a statement published on Twitter, the charity added: “SPAC Nation will like to re-emphasise that we have confidence in the judiciary system and the law enforcement system, we had every belief that they would do their jobs right and as a church we stand for what is right.

“If we find anyone doing anything wrong within our church we would report them to the necessary authorities.”

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[www.bbc.co.uk]



SPAC Nation: MP Steve Reed urges Met Police to reopen criminal inquiry
13 February 2020
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Image copyright@SPACNATION
Image caption
SPAC Nation said it had been "vindicated" by the Met Police
A decision not to pursue a criminal investigation against an evangelical church group accused of fraud and abuse was "appalling", an MP has said.

The Met said on Tuesday it was dropping its criminal case against SPAC Nation.

Croydon North MP Steve Reed, who notified the force of 12 people who alleged criminal activity by the church, wants the case to be reopened.

The Met confirmed it did not speak to all "potential informants" as some had failed to get in touch with officers.

"A number of people did not respond to several requests to contact police," it said in a statement.

In January, the London-based church, praised for helping ex-gang members, was accused of financial exploitation and fraud by Labour MP Mr Reed.

'Cursory' efforts
SPAC Nation said it had been "vindicated" by the Met's review, which found no criminal act of "fraud and other offences" had been committed by the church.

Two separate claims of fraud against individuals are being investigated by local forces, with one man arrested.

But Mr Reed said his office had since spoken to five of the 12 people he referred to the Met.

Two said police did not make contact with them at all, while three others said the contact "was cursory and no attempt was made by the police to follow up the details".

Image caption
The church's leader, pastor Tobi Adegboyega, has always denied the accusations
One of the cases forwarded to the police was of a girl who complained of sexual abuse.

The MP said she received a voicemail from an officer but he left no number for her to call him back.

Mr Reed, the shadow minister for child protection and families, said he had "today passed further allegations on to the police, and "urged them to reopen the case".

In response, the Met said: "Officers made efforts to contact all potential informants, some of whom had spoken with a local MP.

"In addition, some of the information given to third parties was not corroborated when police interviewed potential witnesses or victims."

The Met said it would review its investigation "should any further information come to light".

A report by BBC Panorama last year featured former SPAC Nation members who accused the church of wrongdoing.

One claimed she was persuaded to commit benefit fraud by a trustee, while another said she had a £5,000 loan taken out in her name without her knowledge.

The church denied all the allegations.

The Charity Commission is carrying its own investigation into SPAC Nation's safeguarding and finances, while Mr Reed said he would be meeting the mayor of London next week to raise his concerns.

Great, I’m glad to see that this request has been made to re open the case, closing the case is a gigantic policing fail.

For vulnerable young people and children in trap houses, this link is for the children’s commissioner for England, Anne Longfield.. (the second link has contact details) there is a focus on young people in care and who have left care however still a good contact if needed by anyone.

[www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk]

[www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2020 07:30PM by facet.

Thanks facet, I'm sure this will be very very useful to the people who may have been overlooked in this process.

BBC November 2019 ... [www.youtube.com]

another interesting video on Spac [www.youtube.com]

Its on again!!!

[www.huffingtonpost.co.uk]


Police Review New Criminal Allegations Linked To SPAC Nation Church Members
The Metropolitan Police is understood to be actively looking at about 20 to 30 cases.
By Emma Youle
Nadine White

Great !

Thank you for the update Lori.

PT claims he predicted the virus in February 2020 and had never heard of it before then ( although it was in the news right through Jan )
[www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2020 12:43AM by Loriwoke.

[www.huffingtonpost.co.uk]


SPAC Nation: Head Of Controversial Church Steps Down
The Charity Commission says its inquiry into the church is ongoing.
By Nadine White
Emma Youle

The leader of controversial London church SPAC Nation has stepped down from the helm, it has emerged.

Pastor Tobi Adegboyega has handed the reins to senior pastors Damy Balogun and Samuel Akokhia, who will jointly head up the organisation.

Speaking in a video posted from the church’s Twitter account on Wednesday, Adegboyega said: “Handing over to the next generation is what Africans or churches must now learn. How do we talk about leadership without actually putting people in leadership and let us see their mistakes and how they grow?”

He added: “SPAC Nation is now going to be pastored here in London by Pastor Sam and Pastor Damy. They’ve earned their stripes, they’ve worked hard, they’ve raised fellowship, hundreds of fellowship, and many businesses,” he added.

“I’m handing over a church that started with three people when I was 25 and has grown to over 1,000 people. It grew from the corners of Peckham, when people told me that there’s no way we could grow.”

SPAC Nation church
HUFFPOST UK
SPAC Nation church service
The religious leader praised the church’s impact on British society and said: “It grew to thousands of people to the most prominent offices in the UK – it has helped the police, councils and many more.

“So do not let people take advantage. Cheap tabloids will have no relevance until they speak negative because they know that negative news sells.”

It appeared to be a thinly veiled dig at the media following a slew of coverage, which came after an exclusive investigation published by HuffPost UK, detailing alarming allegations around SPAC Nation.”

Though Adegboyega says he is “stepping down” in the clip, he added he is still leading the church: “I’m still leading SPAC Nation, by the way. I have my protégés, my sons, they’re now the faces of it. I will allow [them] to make their decisions – I will allow them to make their mistakes.”

This appears to contradict a press release from the church marked with Tuesday’s date that states the pastor has handed over the leadership role altogether.

Adegboyega now intends to embark on “more” philanthropic work around the world, according to the release.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police continue to review new criminal allegations relating to individuals associated with SPAC Nation.

Pastor Tobi Adegboyega
HANNAH EACHUS
Pastor Tobi Adegboyega illustration
The force received the latest reports in February.

It says the new alleged offences are of a similar nature to allegations of fraud and other offences made against individuals associated with the London-based church last year, as revealed by HuffPost UK.

No criminal investigation was launched into the 2019 allegations and SPAC Nation has always denied any wrongdoing.

The church had said in response to the new allegations that it has thousands of members and could not respond on behalf of individuals, and that police should carry out the review and take whatever measures they deemed fit. Previously, SPAC Nation has distanced itself from the actions of its pastors, saying “a community with hundreds of pastors cannot monitor what each pastor or leader does”.

SPAC Nation has been hailed by politicians as a pioneering church and a beacon of hope for ex-gang members, but has been hit by a slew of serious allegations.

A HuffPost UK investigation revealed in November that it had created the conditions for fraudsters to flourish within its ranks and was failing to act on allegations of some pastors financially exploiting the young people it claims to help.

We were told about shocking evidence of abuse within safe houses set up by pastors in SPAC Nation, supposedly to protect vulnerable youngsters escaping gangs.

Safeguarding concerns have been raised in relation to church members. The incident pictured here...
SCREENSHOT
Safeguarding concerns have been raised in relation to church members. The incident pictured here was later dismissed as a joke.
The church’s large congregations include vulnerable young people from impoverished areas, and some members told HuffPost UK that pastors had been taking teenagers to donate blood for medical trials, with their fees then handed over to the church’s pastors.

The church previously told HuffPost UK that Adegboyega put a stop to the practice and said “any encouragement to ask anyone to donate blood is not done here. If Pastor Tobi ever addressed anything in line with this, it was to make sure people contribute to their community rightly and not to do so for money.”

In December the Charity Commission launched an investigation into SPAC Nation – which is a registered charity – to probe financial and safeguarding allegations.

The Charity Commission said its inquiry into the church had not yet concluded.

“It remains our intention to publish the findings of our inquiry upon its conclusion,” a spokesperson said.

HuffPost UK has approached SPAC Nation and Tobi Adegboyega for comment.

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